US senator pins chip crisis on local firm Staff writer, with CNA, Washington US Senator Debbie Stabenow on Thursday said that she had contacted Taiwan’s representative to the US regarding a global shortage of auto chips, which she considered to be the result of a reduction of shipments from a major Taiwanese semiconductor company. “US manufacturers of automobiles, home appliances and other products are being forced to shut down a line or a plant temporarily because of a single company in Taiwan, which has reduced its shipments of semiconductors to our manufacturers,” Stabenow told a confirmation hearing for Katherine Tai, US President Joe Biden’s nominee for US trade representative.